New York Alert is an instant, mass notification system that enables students, employees and parents to receive emergency notifications and updates via SMS text messaging, voice message, e-mail and/or fax.
This initiative is one component of the college's wide-reaching emergency communications strategy, with the goal of providing a safe and secure environment in which to work and live.
NY Alert is a completely voluntary service provided by the State of New York to all SUNY campuses. Information provided will be used for notification purposes only; no advertisements or non-emergency alerts will be sent. You must sign up for the service in order to receive alerts.
To sign up, go to Web for Students and sign in using your Morrisville ID and PIN.
For more information, view the New York Alert FAQ.
Receiving an Alert
If you receive a NY Alert message, you should do the following:
- Read the message carefully - don't ignore it.
- Alert others. Whether you are in a residence hall, dining hall, classroom or office, let those around you know about the alert. It is important to help spread the word about any emergency.
- Follow all instructions carefully. The instructions will be direct and specific to the particular situation. If the situation requires it, additional messages will be transmitted to update you.
Information for Parents
Parents may receive NY Alert messages through student sign up. If you are a parent and would like to receive the alerts, have your student add your cell and/or email information to his/her account.
Periodic Update
To keep information as current as possible, you will be asked to update your information once during the academic year. It will be necessary to complete this update if you wish to continue receiving alerts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SUNY NY-Alert?
SUNY New York Alert is a system to allow SUNY campuses to warn students, employees, visitors, and parents of an impending emergency and provide timely information to protect lives and minimize campus disruption. Messages can be received via cell phone (text and/or voice), telephone, email, and fax. Participants will need to sign up to receive notification alerts, and choose the format they would like to receive messages in at the time they sign up.
How does SUNY NY Alert work?
Once you have completed the form fields, your information is submitted to the SUNY NY Alert secure database. If there is an emergency on campus, officials at SUNY Morrisville will notify SUNY NY Alert with appropriate information. You will then be notified by email, by phone and/or text messaging within a very short period of time. This is because SUNY NY Alert has the capability of sending thousands of emails and making thousands of phone calls within minutes.
How do I sign up?
When you sign in to Web for Students, you will be prompted to click on the Emergency Alert Notification link. Choose "I would like to participate in this service." Follow the directions and submit your information.
Faculty and staff should sign on to the SUNY faculty/staff page. Log in with your Morrisville ID and password, and click on the "SUNY Emergency Contact System" link.
Will the information I submit be kept private?
Yes. The information will be used for emergency notification purposes only.
How are notification alerts distributed?
Notification alerts are distributed via email, phone, fax and text messaging. You can choose any or all of these options when you sign up.
Is this mandatory?
No. You have the ability to opt out, but you will not receive messages in case of an emergency. You are strongly encouraged to enroll.
What costs can a person incur by enrolling in SUNY NY-Alert?
Enrolling is free, but standard charges will apply for calls and text messages.
What emergencies will prompt a message?
- Bomb Threat - based on intelligence that indicates the threat is credible.
- Civil Disturbance - large group disrupting normal campus activities.
- Fire - large-scale fire to building(s), wildfires, local community or industry that endangers campus.
- Hazardous Material - dangerous material, chemical, biological, nuclear spreading from a contained area.
- Major Road Closing/Incident - unanticipated event that would disrupt safe passage to and from campus.
- Medical Emergency - pandemic or an event with mass casualties.
- Personal Safety - situations that include use of weapons, violence, perpetrator(s) at large, active shooter, hostage situation or missing persons. Any situation, on or off campus, that, in the judgment of the Chief Administrative Officer or designee, constitutes an on-going or continuing threat to person or property.
- Suspicious Package - reasonable belief that a package may contain chemical, biological or nuclear substance that would cause harm to persons or property.
- Utility Failure - a major disruption or damage to utilities including gas, electrical or water.
- Weather - severe weather conditions to include flooding, snow/ice/cold, thunderstorm, wind, tornado or hurricane.
What will my phone's caller ID show when NY-Alert calls it?
The phone number displayed will be 518-292-6634. If your caller ID looks up the corresponding name, it will display "New York Alert" or "New York SEMO." E-mail messages from SUNY NY Alert will have NYAlert.Admin@NYAlert.gov in the "From" field.
Can my parents get these alerts too?
You can enter your parents' e-mail and phone information as your secondary information. This way, whenever an alert goes out, they would receive it as well, either by email, phone, text or all three.
Do I have to sign up more than once?
Yes. You will need to re-submit your information each semester. This is done to insure that the information maintained in the database is current; many cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses change over the course of a year.